Millions of Egyptians turn out nationwide for anti-Morsi rallies; 7 dead in violence

As unprecedented numbers turn out for mass rallies to demand President Morsi's ouster, Muslim Brotherhood finds itself under siege nationwide on day that sees at least seven people fall victim to political violence

Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi wave Egyptian flags and shout slogans against him and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, during a protest in front of El-Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo June 30, 2013 (Photo: Simon Hanaa)

Millions of opposition protesters hit the streets across Egypt to call for the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Sunday (which marked the end of his first year in office), with violence in leaving at least seven dead.

Hundreds of thousands of anti-Morsi protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Cairo's Heliopolis district and in Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the 2011 revolution and the prime venue of many opposition demonstrations.

There were jubilant but defiant scenes at both protests, with huge crowds of protesters chanting that the beleaguered president "must go" and stressing that they "will not leave" until their demands are fulfilled.

"We're staying put until Morsi resigns," said Hawash Heikel, a 58-year-old lawyer, as he set up camp for the night in Tahrir Square. "I have travelled all the way from [the Nile Delta governorate of] Menoufiya. We've come in a group to say that Egypt made a contract with the president when we went to the ballot box, and he has broken that agreement."

Heikel listed a number of common grievances echoed by protesters in Tahrir Square and across the country, including worsening fuel shortages and electricity cuts.

"Instead of telling us how he is going to fix these issues that are making our daily lives hell, he keeps talking about the big picture, and how Egypt is 'moving forward.' But he doesn't give specifics," he said.

The anti-Morsi Rebel campaign, which spearheaded the nationwide demonstrations, has called on all political parties and movements to leave their banners at home and unite, resulting in a sea of Egyptian flags.

"Look around you," said Ahmed Nagah, a 47-year-old teacher, gesturing to the crowds."Today is a huge success."

Nagah, who voted for Amr Moussa in last year's presidential polls, explains how Morsi "has broken the rules" and lost his legitimacy. Nagah supports the Rebel campaign's calls for the head of Egypt's High Constitutional Court to take over as interim president until snap elections are held.

Further into the mass of people banging drums and shouting slogans against Morsi, 43-year-old engineer Abdel-Rehim Kamal voiced a common grievance.

"Morsi is exactly the same as [ousted president] Hosni Mubarak. He is following in his footsteps," he said.

More protests nationwide

Similar scenes occurred in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, where protester Sarah Mamdouh told Ahram Online that Morsi had lost his legitimacy by "his dictatorial decisions and his inability to listen to other political opinions."

They played out elsewhere across the country – in Gharbiya, Ismailia, Sharqiya and Menoufiya – where anti-Morsi protesters blocked the Cairo-Alexandria agricultural road, declaring it "closed by order of the people."

There was a significant anti-American sentiment in Cairo's Tahrir Square, meanwhile, with US ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson the butt of numerous jokes by angry posters.

Just a few kilometres across the city from the presidential palace demonstrations, Islamist groups continue their sit-in in support of the president, spear-headed by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party.

Supporters of the president maintain that Morsi was legitimately elected through democratic elections. Therefore, they say, the only way to remove him from office is through the ballot box.

Nevertheless, those who are currently gathered for the anti-government demonstrations say they will stay put until Morsi leaves.

"The big difference between now and then is that when we first went out in January 2011, we did not start out by calling for the toppling of the president," April 6 Youth Movement founder Ahmed Maher told Ahram Online.

"But now we have a clear demand: We want the president to leave," he said.

Deadly violence in Upper Egypt

At least three protesters have been killed in Upper Egypt’s Assiut city, chief of security in the city, General Abou El-Qassem Abou El-Deif, said in a press statement. The three had been part of an anti-Morsi protest of thousands that was attacked by unknown assailants as they were marching near the Freedom and Justice Party’s headquarters.

According to Al-Ahram's Arabic-language website, one of the slain, Abanob Atef, was killed after being shot in the head by gunmen on a motorcycle.

Egyptian Health Minister Mohamed Hamed had earlier confirmed the death of 25-year-old Ammar Gouda, a protester killed in Beni Suef when unknown assailants opened fire on an anti-Morsi protest.

Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya's Building and Development Party have released a statement claiming the victim was one of their members.

Atef Marzouk, a leading member of the Islamist group in Beni Suef, accused opponents of President Morsi of initiating the attack by firing birdshot at a pro-Morsi march. "We defended ourselves until one of us was martyred," said Marzouk.

"A number of assailants, accused by protesters of being Islamist supporters of Morsi, attacked the rally...Some clusters of protesters scattered and hid inside the mosques surrounding the square; at the same time the armed forces mobilised to contain the situation," she said.

"Assailants continued briefly to fire at the mosques where protesters were hiding, but they ran away when the army arrived," Mahfouz added.

The Beni Suef office of the Egyptian Popular Current, a leftist group led by opposition leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, also claimed in a statement that 30 members of "the jihadist movement" in Beni Suef had fired at the protest and that several protesters had been injured.

Mahfouz, for her part, told Ahram Online that she saw a child injured with a bullet to the shoulder.

Ahram Online has not been able to independently verify Sunday's events in Beni Suef.

In Fayoum, an 18-year-old teenager was killed after being shot in the head in clashes between the supporters and opponents of Morsi.

The Egyptian health ministry reported that the injury toll across the nation, meanwhile, had reached 613. Cairo, Alexandria, Daqahliya, Gharbiya, Menoufiya, Beni Suef and Beheira are among the governorates that witnessed violence.

Violence also flared between supporters and opponents of the Brotherhood in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, where Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website reported the use of firearms, birdshot and blunt weapons.

Brotherhood's Cairo HQ attacked

Back in Cairo, at least two were killed when the main headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Moqattam district came under attack in the evening.

Hundreds of people throwing petrol bombs and rocks attacked the building, which caught fire as guards and Brotherhood members inside the building, which has been the target of several similar attacks this year, exchanged gunfire with attackers.

Local TV channels showed civilians being carried away with bloody head wounds.

Eyewitnesses told Ahram Online that assailants and Brotherhood members fired birdshot at each other, resulting in a number of injured, including a police officer. Parts of the building's exterior were burnt in the melee.

Senior FJP official Gehad El-Hadad said via Twitter hinted that the assailants may be linked to the banned 'Black Bloc' group, a term used to refer to young men wearing black masks who often resort to violence during protests.

Several other Brotherhood-affiliated offices were also assaulted.

A number of Brotherhood buildings have come under attack as tensions have mounted in the lead-up to the 30 June demonstrations, with the group's offices in Alexandria and the Nile Delta governorates of Sharqiya, Gharbiya and Beheira being firebombed or ransacked.

At least seven people have been killed since Wednesday in clashes between rival protesters.

Morsi supporters soldier on

At the open-ended sit-in staged outside Cairo's Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque, some five kilometres away from the presidential palace, hundreds of thousands (mainly Islamists) maintained their support for the embattled president despite mass opposition protests nationwide.

Morsi supporters remain gathered outside the mosque in Nasr City, where they held asit-in for the third consecutive day on Sunday. They continued to chant for Morsi and his democratic legitimacy, and vociferously strike out at his opponents.

"We are four million at Rabaa Al-Adawiya and we are waiting for another six million to be ten. They will have to kill us all before they violate [Morsi's democratic] legitimacy," Yussif, a merchant, insisted.

Amir Bassam, Shura Council member from the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, had earlier told Orbit TV that crowds supporting President Morsi around Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque in Cairo were more than all of Egypt's anti-Morsi protesters combined.

Yet given the numbers of people reported in Tahrir Square and at the presidential palace – both of which remain packed to bursting – this seems highly unlikely.

Ahram Online welcomes readers' comments on all issues covered by the site, along with any criticisms and/or corrections. Readers are asked to limit their feedback to a maximum of 1000 characters (roughly 50 words). All comments/criticisms will, however, be subject to the following code

We will not publish comments which contain rude or abusive language, libelous statements,
slander and personal attacks against any person/s.

We will not publish comments which contain racist remarks or any kind of racial
or religious incitement against any group of people, in Egypt or outside it.

We welcome criticism of our reports and articles but we will not publish personal
attacks, slander or fabrications directed against our reporters and contributing
writers.

We reserve the right to correct, when at all possible, obvious errors in spelling
and grammar. However, due to time and staffing constraints such corrections will
not be made across the board or on a regular basis.

Please Wait

15

Liladhar R. Pendse, Ph.D.

02-07-2013 03:08am

1-

6+

Non-violence might be the key along with conversations!

My dear Egyptian brothers and sisters,
I remain very concerned about the situation as it is being reported by various national and international news sources. I am trying to be very optimistic despite some disturbing pictures of the events that I have seen in the media.
I am worried for all of my dear Egyptian friends who are decent human beings and hard working family people. Who get up every morning, pray, go to work, take their children to home, work through the day and return home to their homes. I worry for all of you.
I truly hope that both the current administration and the opposition can come to some level of agreement so that peace can prevail in your homeland. I write because I am also an immigrant to the US from South Asia and seeing these events as they transpire in Egypt really hits one's soul.
I am praying for Misr and al-Misriin for peace and prosperity.
Yours, Liladhar
Berkeley, CA.

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

14

Aakerj

01-07-2013 09:34pm

2-

1+

Egypt

Some days ago an ancient Egyptian statue dedicated to the God Osiris, God of Love, was inexplicably revolving in a museum in Manchester in England. It has been associated to a series of miracles from Maitreya (world teacher) that like the Egyptian revolution would pertain to an appeal for greater justice and sharing. Is there any coincidence?

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

13

Saeed

01-07-2013 08:12pm

4-

3+

We demand the Resignation of the Opposition Leadership

The failures of opposition leadership in winning presidential elections, parliamentary elections, and city election shows that they are failure. Someone with such a record of failures cannot be trusted to run Egypt.
We the young egyptians demand that Baradi and the rest of the opposition leadership resign their posts. They have no legitimacy as leaders. They do not represent us.
Down Down with the Opposition leadership. They have become anarchists rather than a legitimate opposition party. Even when the American Republicans lost the elections, their leadership refused to spread anarchy in America although they opposed everything Obama stood for.
We demand the resignation of the Opposition leadership.

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

12

Sajjad Saleem

01-07-2013 02:18pm

11-

4+

No coverage of MB's demonstrations

I cant see any MB's demonstration pic on Aharam online's home page. Even, MB organized far bigger gathering than these liberal extremists.
So, why media is biased again Muslim Brotherhood

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

11

Adam Neira

01-07-2013 02:04pm

0-

9+

Prayers for Egypt

Prayers for the peace of Egypt in the coming hours and days. The country has great potential if people can just hold together.

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

10

Doug

01-07-2013 12:57pm

4-

12+

This ...

Violence will only escalate as protesters wait it out. The blood will be on Morsi's hands.
I think the picture attached to this story shows what the country thinks of this "president." He is a #joke.

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

9

Mohamed India

01-07-2013 12:07pm

7-

3+

You are Fighting with musri or Islamist.

So Called Rebel, Ex-Regime & NSF you are struggling to fight with Mursi or Islamist. You can not stop Islamist rule furlong;
It is clearly in religious book, Islamic rule will be back as prescribed Israel would be back.

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

ahmad

02-07-2013 03:44am

4-

4+

wahabism and shiism are not islam

wahaabi ideology will destroy the image of muslims and islam. islamic rule should not be forced on anyone. islam means peace and a muslim should be peace loving. rasoolullah and thekulafa ur raashidoon set the best way of shariah.

8

Assad

01-07-2013 09:26am

2-

10+

Ban the Muslim Brotherhood

The Mb have proven they are not a democratic or secular party. They should never have had the Ban Lifted.
The MB can never be trusted and their agenda is well know.
Morsi must be held to account for the Benghazi attack in libya.
Morsi Should be arrested for the Prison Break and dragged before the courts.
The Ban on the MB MUST be reinstated.
Egypt "the world is watching you" and the comments are very NEGATIVE... I tell people this is not egypt, this is the failings of the MB.
I hope the people have earnt the MB are a dangerous outfit that MUST never again be allowed to enter parliament.
The MEDIA must fight for their rights and be allowed total freedom to publish material as the see fit.
DEMAND DEMOCRACY, STAND YOUR GRANT.
NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.
DO NOT TRUST OBAMA he has betrayed the EGYPTIAN PEOPLE.
GOD BLESS EGYPT the mother of the world.

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

7

Bubbly

01-07-2013 08:44am

2-

4+

President thru Street Power

If Musry steps down today due to street protest and power after one year, what will happen than..? Egypt will be ruled by an un-democartice person. If in case new elections are held for new president then how one will stop the election losers to topple the next president after six months..? There would be any logic or gournd..??? If you say that 22 million are against president,why dont you go the elections and sweep the polls,impeach the president in paliment and bring your new elected president.This would the best way without pulling the state into chao and in a state of civil war.You cannot make Egypt a democratic and stable state through street power and voilent means against the opponents.Voilece produce more voilence whatever you do or as sow same shall you reap tomorrow.

Email

Name

Comment's Title

Comment

Please Wait

6

Sarah

01-07-2013 06:47am

3-

7+

how the liberals have reached out loud and clear

List of failures? You mean of the ruling government?
Because an opposition cannot possibly be blamed for what the own ruling president and his clan lack to do right!!!
And yesterday has shown how the liberals have reached out. Clearer than ever!
Its up to Morsi now to either concess, reach out or if he refuses: leave!
Largest protest Egypt has ever seen and this is not because of the ' liberal's failures'